In this article we take a look at The History and Symbolism Behind Bitcoin’s Logo.
Bitcoin is a revolutionary, decentralized form of currency that not only allows people to send and receive money anonymously but also to create their own money. Most of you reading this have only ever known Bitcoin by its current logo design: that white, double-striped “B” superimposed on an orange circle.
There are many facets to Bitcoin, but one that has received surprisingly little attention is its symbol.
As the currency has developed, it has been hard to find a single image of the symbol that represents Bitcoin in popular culture. The truth is that there are numerous symbols that represent Bitcoin. I will explain a little about each of them and how they relate to the currency.
Table of Contents
The Original and the Simplest:
I will explain a little about each of them and how they relate to the currency. The original logo, as created by Bitcoin’s creator, is currently used only on the wiki and is considered to be “Bitcoin proper,” the true representation of the currency.
The logo contains the capital letter “B,” with two parallel lines running above and below it. This version was designed by Satoshi Nakamoto himself. The logo is often used as a basis for other representations of Bitcoin.
The logo created by Nakamoto was originally placed on the front page of the Bitcoin wiki and embedded into the code, but the site was hacked in August of 2010, and all mentions of Bitcoin were removed from the wiki.
The logo above is used by some to represent Bitcoin, but there is a problem with that. It is not authentic; it does not have Satoshi’s fingerprints on it. There are also a few variations of this logo that use additional colours (like orange instead of green). The true Bitcoin symbol can only be one colour: orange with green stripes.
The Evolution of Bitcoin’s Logo: A Colourful History
Bitcoin is a new and unique currency, so there is no need for a historical look at the symbol, but it is interesting to note where Satoshi got the inspiration for the design.
For example, the logo designed by Nakamoto is similar to the logo used by Lucasfilm in its earliest days. Both were designed using two opposing lines with a circle in between.
Satoshi also had inspiration from RFC 822—the standard used by everyone from email to interoffice memos. In the headers of RFC 822, there are two lines that run next to each other, with values above and below. Satoshi took the idea a step further by adding a circle in between the lines.
The symbol’s colours are also intentional. Satoshi chose green because it is the colour used in nature to represent growth (a word often associated with money).
The orange colour represents cryptography, the foundation of Bitcoin’s security. The colours represent the relationship between money and technology.
Method To the Madness: Adding Flair
When the currency was still in its infancy, Satoshi Nakamoto was not receiving much attention. He preferred to stay anonymous, so he decided to make the logo more colourful by adding a flair, that is, a border.
It turns out that his fingers had a little extra paint on them. Around the edge of the circle is an orange line with a “B” written above it. When Satoshi decided to make the currency more public, he changed his design once again.
Satoshi decided that he needed a symbol people could relate to, and so he created a symbol for Bitcoin similar to the dollar sign. The “B” is replaced with a “$,” and the orange circle becomes green (the colour of money) with no border or flair.
These changes demonstrate that Nakamoto saw his creation as a public commodity, a currency for everyone, not just himself.
Soon after Bitcoin became public, the symbol received a makeover. This time Satoshi didn’t just create another logo, but he made subtle changes that would help make the currency more stable and appealing to the masses.
At this point, Bitcoin was beginning to be used by more mainstream businesses, and more people had started to notice it. The original symbol was hard to read for everyone; people were getting confused because it looked different from the dollar sign or pound sign. Bitcoin Prime offers a variety of services for those who want to get into bitcoin or already use it.
Bottom Line:
Bitcoin is a revolutionary, decentralized form of currency that not only allows people to send and receive money anonymously but also to create their own money.
As the currency has developed, it has been hard to find a single image of the symbol that represents Bitcoin in popular culture. The truth is that there are numerous symbols that represent Bitcoin.
Join The Logo Community
We hope you have enjoyed the The History and Symbolism Behind Bitcoin’s Logo. If you would like more personal tips, advice, insights, and access to our community threads and other goodies, join me in our community. You can comment directly on posts and have a discussion.
*TIP – We use and recommend DesignCuts for all your fonts, mockups and design bundles.
